The fashionable seaside resort of Scheveningen, originally a modest fishing village and now incorporated in The Hague, is famous as the scene of Admiral Michiel de Ruyter's victory over a Franco-British fleet in 1673.
The local harbor is popular for fishing and a long sandy beach for watersports.
With its broad sandy beach and its seafront promenade, Scheveningen is an ideal resort for holiday-makers looking for sun and water. Here they can bathe, walk among the dunes, ride, play tennis or go on a fishing trip from the harbor. Other attractions are the swimming pool with artificial waves.
The Kurhaus, one of the main attractions along the seafront, is an Art Nouveau style building which is a hotel, with a restaurant and other facilities.
From Scheveningen a number of streets, including the Scheveningseweg, laid out in 1666 on a plan by the poet Constantijn Huygens, run southeast into The Hague (4km/2.5mi to the city center). The Scheveningseweg passes the beautiful Scheveningse Bosjes, in which, near the Wittebrug Hotel, can be found the miniature town of Madurodam.
Near the "Monument" is the Vuurtoren (lighthouse), and beyond this is the fishing and boating harbor of Scheveningen (fishing trips; ferry service to England). A visit to the fish market and fish auction is an interesting experience for visitors. Numerous specialty restaurants.
Just 1km/.75mile southwest of the Kurhaus, beyond the old village (in which traditional costumes are still worn), stands the "Monument", an obelisk erected in 1865 to mark the spot where King William I landed in 1813. Every 25 years the landing is re-enacted.
The Scheveningen Museum (Schevenings Museum) at Neptunusstraat 92 documents the history of the fishing port and resort of Scheveningen, with nautical equipment, ship models, traditional costumes and ornaments and jewelry.
Two of the attractions in the resort part of Scheveningen are the Pier with its four island-like extensions (sunbathing terrace, restaurant, "Underwater Wonderland", 45m/148ft high lookout tower) and the Circus Theater (1750 seats), which is used for concerts and other cultural events.
The International Sand Sculpture competition held on the beach of Scheveningen in The Hague features an extraordinary display of sand sculptures created by professional teams from the U.S. and Europe.
Sea Life Center in Scheveningen is an underwater world that takes visitors from the shoreline to the very depths of the ocean. Hundreds of marine animals, including shrimps, starfish, crabs and sharks can be seen.
The highlight of a visit though would be the transparent tunnel in tank containing 180,000 litres of seawater.
Address: Scheveningen Sea Life Center, Strandweg 13, Scheveningen, Zuid-Holland 2586 JK, Netherlands
Hours:
January 1 to January 31: 10am-6pm
February 1 to June 30: 10am-7pm
July 1 to August 31: 10am-8pm
September 1 to November 30: 10am-7pm
December 1 to December 31: 10am-6pm
Always closed on: Christmas - Christian (December 25)
Vlaggetjesdag in Scheveningen is a flag day celebration that takes place in early May to celebrate the sport of herring fishing. The first fish caught is traditionally given to the Queen, while the rest are auctioned off or used to prepare generous feasts in various restaurants throughout the town. Street entertainment is also provided throughout the day.
Adjoining the Nieuwe Scheveningse Bosjes on the west is Westbroekpark, with a rose garden in which thousands of roses are in flower from June to October. Every year rose growers from all over the world gather here, hoping to win the coveted "Golden Rose of The Hague" for their roses.